Sudbury faith: Jesus among those who died far too young

Actors perform a live Good Friday Passion in Covarrubias, in northern Spain, on April 19, 2019. The live Passion performance stages Jesus Christ's last supper, crucifixion, death and resurrection. "Gone Too Soon" is the title of a LIFE special edition photo book which recounts the lives of 86 famous people whose lives ended prematurely, including Jesus.CESAR MANSO / AFP/Getty Images

Do you know someone who died too soon? I think we all do. “Gone Too Soon” is the title of a LIFE special edition photo book which recounts the lives of 86 famous people whose lives ended prematurely. The sub-title reads “Their Lives Were Not Long But Mattered”. Their ages and causes of death are revealing. Here are some examples …

Politicians and writers Bobbie Kennedy was 42 and John Kennedy was 46 when they were assassinated. Abraham Lincoln was 56 when he suffered the same fate. Anne Frank, Dutch diarist, was 16 when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher and author, was 44 when he died of tuberculosis. F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist, was also 44 when he drank himself to death.

Movie stars and singers Bruce Lee, actor and martial artist, was 32 when a brain edema took him. Marilyn Monroe, actress and sex symbol, was 36 when she overdosed. Steve McQueen, actor and “king of cool” was 50 when he succumbed to cancer. Christopher Reeve, best known as “Superman”, became a quadriplegic at age 43 after an equestrian accident and died at 52. John Lennon, co-founder of the Beatles, was 40 when he was murdered in New York City. Elvis Presley, the “king of rock ‘n’ roll”, was 42 when he overdosed. Michael Jackson, the “king of pop”, was 51 when he did the same. John Denver, country crooner, was 53 when his plane crashed into the Pacific.

Athletes and other celebrities Lou Gehrig, New York Yankee baseball star, was 38 when he died of the disease that bears his name. Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR racing legend, was 50 when he died in a racing accident. Arthur Ashe, American tennis legend, was 53 when he died of heart failure. Lady Diana, the “people’s princess”, was 36 when she died in a car crash in Paris. Vincent van Gogh, Dutch artist, was 37 when he shot himself. Martin Luther King Jr., pastor and civil rights leader, was 39 when he was gunned down. Amelia Earhart, first female aviator to cross the Atlantic, was 40 when her plane disappeared over the Pacific.

What can we learn? One clear lesson that emerges from this sombre list is that life can be fragile and short. No one is guaranteed threescore and ten. The causes and culprits listed above are varied – violence, accident, disease, drug abuse and suicide. There was one name, however, on the list that stood out for me – Jesus. He was 33 when he was crucified in Jerusalem. He was given a half page and wedged between King Tut and Pocahontas. According to this LIFE book, Jesus was just one more famous person who died prematurely. But the Bible tells us a very different story. In the Old Testament his life and death were prophesied centuries before. In the New Testament, Jesus predicted his own death to his disciples several times. In the pages of Scripture, Jesus stands alone as a unique Person in human history – the Son of God and Savior of the world. He was born to die. And just as He came into our world at just the right time, He died and returned to life again at just the right time. Jesus did not die too soon. His mission had been accomplished.

— Pastor Rob Weatherby served the Bethel Baptist Church family in Whitefish.